For the Sake of Science

Posted by Braden

I know I've said it before, but I love the research atmosphere of BYU! I haven't been around long enough to consider running/publishing my own research under a professor, but I was fortunate enough to find an experiment to take part in:

I was paid $30 to get shot in the legs with tennis balls. And it was awesome!

Let me explain: Some of the professors in the Athletic Training Education Program were doing a study on the effectiveness of various treatments for bruising. I learned through my health class that they needed 64 male subjects who were willing to promise to not exercise for two weeks (and the health class professors said we'd be excused from the exercise requirements for the class during that time!) and be shot, so I emailed the guy in charge to volunteer. Basically, they took a picture of the front of both my legs, then shot them from 18 inches away with a tennis ball launcher set to 70 mph. I next received my assigned treatment on one of my two bruises (I was randomly assigned to have my nondominant leg treated, with my dominant one being used as a control), which was just the classic "ice and compression" method. And then every other day for the next two weeks, I came in and had pictures taken again of the bruises to see how the one receiving treatment differed from the control. And at the end of it all, I got paid $30.

Why did I do it?
1) I've always wanted to be a statistic! People read about studies that are done by private companies and colleges across the country, but how often do they get to be a part of one? I think this reason alone would have been enough motivation for me.

2) $30--that's the cost of 1.5 weeks of food! I'm all over that.

Now that it's over, I'm hoping I can find another study to hop in soon. I love this college atmosphere!